Chapter 5: The Truth That destroyed me

Chapter Five: The Truth That Destroyed Me

Amelia POV

My question hung in the air, but neither of my parents answered. Mother continued comforting Roselle while Father stood nearby, still refusing to look at me.

I wiped my tears and slowly got to my feet. "Can't you at least tell me what I've done to deserve this?"

Father finally turned toward me. "You've been nothing but an embarrassment to this family. You lost your child due to your carelessness, then you slept with another man. And now…you attacked your pregnant sister because your husband no longer wants you."

"I never touched her!"

"Enough!" he shouted. "I'm tired of your excuses."

Mother rose from the sofa, her expression cold. "There's something you need to know, Amelia. You've never been our daughter in the way you believe."

I frowned. "What does that mean?"

She exchanged a glance with Father before delivering the words that shattered everything I thought I knew about my life.

"You were adopted."

I stared at her, unable to comprehend what I'd just heard.

"What?"

"You heard me," she replied impatiently. "You're not our biological daughter. We adopted you because we hoped it would help us have a child of our own. Then we had Roselle."

My knees weakened. All these years, I'd believed they were my family. Enduring their unfair treatment, hoping that eventually they’ll come around.

"Why didn't you tell me all these years?" I finally asked, my voice barely above a whisper. 

"Because there was no reason to," Father answered. "We raised you and gave you a home. That was enough."

"You should be grateful we kept you for as long as we could all these years," Mother snapped.

Father walked toward a nearby cabinet and retrieved a small pendant. "Take this. It belonged to your biological parents."

I stared at the delicate piece of jewelry in his hand. "My biological parents?"

"Yes. That’s all we know. We saw it with you when you were brought to us."

I reached for the pendant. It was small and old, with a delicate chain and a design I couldn't recognize. I had spent my entire life believing Richard and Victoria were my biological parents. Now, I was being told that everything I knew about my identity was a lie.

Before I could ask another question, Father pointed toward the door. "Now take your things and leave."

I looked at him in disbelief. "You're throwing me out?"

"Get out of my house, Amelia."

I turned toward Mother, hoping she would stop him, but she looked away. That was the moment I understood that begging wouldn't change anything. I put the pendant in my handbag and walked toward the door. When I stepped outside, the door slammed behind me.

I stood on the doorstep for a moment, staring at the house where I had spent most of my life. Then I turned and started walking. I didn't know where I would go. I only knew I couldn't stay there anymore. My mind kept returning to the same questions. Who were my biological parents? Why had they given me away? Had they ever tried to find me?

I reached into my handbag for my phone, intending to call a friend, when I noticed the zip was open. I stopped walking. I remembered taking out my phone earlier, but I was almost certain I had closed the bag afterward. I checked inside, moving aside my purse and other belongings.

The pendant was missing.

My heart lurched. I searched the bag again, then checked around me. Nothing. I retraced my steps, looking near the gate and along the path I had taken. When I still couldn't find it, I remembered placing the pendant in my handbag just before leaving the house, perhaps it had slipped out.

I had to go back.

The thought of facing my parents again made me hesitate, but I couldn't leave without the only thing they had given me that connected me to my biological family.

I returned to the house, entered quietly and began searching near the entrance, checking the floor and the space beside the small table. Then I spotted it. The pendant lay near the door, its chain partly caught beneath the edge of the rug. Relief washed over me. I crouched and carefully freed it, checking that the chain hadn't broken. I placed it securely inside the zipped compartment of my handbag.

I was about to leave when I heard voices from the adjoining room.

"Are you sure Amelia won't find out what happened?" Roselle asked nervously.

Mother sighed. "Why are you bringing this up again? It's been months. Amelia believes she lost the baby naturally. As long as you keep your mouth shut, nobody will know what really happened."

My heart began pounding, as my hand froze over my bag. What were they talking about?

"But what if she discovers that I was responsible?" Roselle whispered. "What if she finds out I poisoned her?"

Poisoned? All this while I thought I had a miscarriage due to an accident, but I had no idea it was all Roselle. 

"Keep your voice down!" Mother snapped. "Do you want someone to hear you? What's done is done. Besides, you have everything you want now. Demian is no longer interested in her, and soon nobody will remember what happened."

I pressed my hand over my mouth. Poisoned? All this while I thought I had a miscarriage due to an accident, but I had no idea it was all Roselle and my own mother knew? She knew and watched me suffer without saying a word. She allowed me to blame myself over and over again while protecting the daughter she loved.

I wanted to burst into the room and demand answers. I wanted to make them look me in the eyes and explain how they could do something so cruel. But I stopped myself. They didn't deserve to know I had heard them. Not yet.

Once I reached the street, my legs nearly gave way. I leaned against a nearby wall and tried to steady my breathing, but the tears wouldn't stop. My baby was gone. Roselle had poisoned me, and Victoria had helped her hide the truth. And Richard? He had thrown me out of his house without even knowing—or perhaps without caring—what his beloved daughter had done.

I wiped my face and forced myself to stand straight. I couldn't change the past. I couldn't bring my baby back. But I could decide what happened next. I took out my phone and found the number of my former workplace.

Before marrying Demian, I had worked as a fashion designer. I had loved my job, and I had once dreamed of owning the biggest fashion house. Then I had to sacrifice those dreams for a marriage that had only brought me pain. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake.

I pressed the call button. After several rings, a familiar voice answered. "Hello?"

"It's Amelia."

There was a brief silence. "Amelia? It’s been awhile."

"Yes it has." I swallowed hard. "I’m ready to return to work now. Do you think you can still take me back?"

"Of course! We've missed you. We're glad to have you back, and we'd be happy to have you working with us again."

For the first time that day, someone had welcomed me instead of pushing me away. "When can you return?" she asked.

"As soon as I put some things into order."

"Then let us know when you're ready. We'll be waiting."

"Thank you," I whispered before ending the call.

I stared at my phone for a moment, then slipped it into my handbag. I had a way forward now. I could return to my career, build a life of my own, and become the woman I had always wanted to be.

But this wasn't only about my career anymore. I touched the pendant inside my handbag and closed my eyes.

Demian Carter. Roselle Smith. Victoria Smith. Richard Smith.

They thought they had broken me. They thought they could destroy my happiness, take my child from me, and send me away as though I meant nothing. They were wrong. I would return to the career I'd abandoned. I would build a life they could never take away from me. And when the time came, I would make them face the consequences of everything they had done. I wiped the last of my tears and lifted my chin.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts," I whispered. "Because the next time you see me, you won't be looking at the woman you destroyed. You'll be looking at the woman who became unstoppable.”